Question juridique clé
Whether the TAS had jurisdiction to hear the club's appeal against FIFA decisions
Solution extraite
The TAS lacked jurisdiction because the applicable FIFA rules did not validly confer appellate competence on it for this dispute.
Motifs extraits
The 2001 FIFA rules preserved the 1997 regime for contracts concluded before 1 September 2001, absent contrary agreement. Under that regime, the TAS was not provided as the appellate body; a later circular could not create jurisdiction without a valid statutory basis.